I CURRENTLY STUDY TAE KWON DO, I WAS WONDERING AFTER I REACH BLACK BELT IN A FEW SHORT MONTHS WOULD IT MAKE MORE SENCE TO STAY STUDYING TAE KWON DO OR MOVE ON AND STUDY SOMETHING ELSE SUCH AS JUDO OR JIU JITSU.

It depends on your interests or goals - having been in TKD for years, I wanted to continue studying martial arts with more emphasis on practicality and developing fighting skills. Recently, I took up Jiujitsu, and it has been a real good addition to my TKD background. I believe a martial artist should be able to handle street fights - since most fights will end up on the ground, then we must also learn ground fighting skills.

I WAS THINKING OF MOVING ON TO JUDO OR JU JITSU. I WANT TO STRENGHTHEN MY THROWING, GRAPPLING, AND SUBMISSION SKILLS BUT ALSO WANT TO RETAIN THE STAND UP FIGHTING ASPECTS OF TKD. MY GOALS INGENERAL REVOLVE AROUND BECOMEING A WELL ROUNDED MARTIALS ARTISTS WITH KNOWLEDGE OF ALL ASPECTS. THE CURRICULUM THAT I TAKE PART IN NOW IS PRETTY ADVANCED SINCE I'VE BEEN TRAINING WITH BLACKBELTS FROM WHEN I STARTED. THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT.

BJJ would be good for what you are looking for. Judo takes longer to learn, and newaza (groundfighting) is probably the more important aspect of grappling. Judo is geared for the ring. If that is what you want then it's a good choice. JJJ is not the same as BJJ/GJJ. Forget JJJ.

I did Judo and Boxing before doing Shorin Ryu and GJJ. I find GJJ compliments my all-around fighting skills. I still have a long way to go to be where I need to be. Plus, being a soft art, you can go almost 100% with BJJ or even Judo. GJJ is just plain fun and rewarding if you like progress you can see and feel. It's harder to evaluate efficacy in a striking style.

I was told by a very intelligent Sensei that one needed a striking art(Karate)a locking art(Aiki-Jujutsu-Chin Na)a grappling art(Brazillian Jujutsu, Sambo etc)and a weapons art(Kobudo, Arnis etc) to be a well rounded Martial Artists. he also said study 1 art in depth, but research others. In my case I have studies quite a few, but when I found a new art that met all the criteria, I started focusing on that art. It was San Jitsu Ryu. This with what I have in my background affords me what i feel is all around good Martial arts

As always senseilou offers a very sound response. In the dojo where I train we have seminars every other month approx. with a person trained by the Gracies in BJJ he lived with them for years in Brazil , he also is a certified instructor in JEET KOON DO concepts and has amazing knife skills. My sensei makes time during class to work on what was shown during these sessions to add to the KEMPO we study. perhaps your sensei would be open to such. If not I would split my training between a new style and old ex. two days in the new and one in the old. It would be a shame to stop a style you worked so hard at just because you reached 1st dan.The 1 st dan does not mean that tere is nothing else to learn, in some styles it means you have the skills to start learning the real meat of the system.As always IMHO - EAT SLEEP TRAIN

My kudos to Kempocos..............Very few people within their style have the insight to even look at other arts, more or less bring them in to the dojo. My utmost respect to your Sensei. He is obviously confident to let others come in AND build on what they show. Many times when I do a seminar, if I am asked back, the students are at the same place they were when I left, practicing nothing of what I showed. I too bring in people all the time, from my Sensei to top Masters and Grandmasters of other Arts. I also build on what they show, and have wound up being included in several styles though I am not typically their students. It is wonderful to have a Grandmaster call you and tell you he is coming into town and wants you to train with him. It is all the product of an open mind, and the willingness to train outside your own Art.

In my time (what am I saying - I'm not that old!), I experimented with several styles, including Jiu Jitsu, Shaolin Kempo, Krav Maga, Russian MA, and Jeet Kune Do and I decided to focus on Tae Keuk Do. Its amazing how different and yet, so complementary the arts are to each other. Each art brings something a little different to the table and its the responsibility of each of us to take from the table what we can eat and digest. For example, the grappling of GJJ, the trapping of JKD, the fluid movements of the Russian MA, the pressure points and body manipulation of Tae Keuk Do and the practicality and street weapons of Krav Maga. This doesn't mean that each system doesn't deal with all of these, but it never hurts to take what works from the other systems you are exposed to and make these your own. The wise Martial Artists recognizes that and strives for that.

In our school we have seminars in grappling, trapping, practical weapons (pencil, belt, umbrella. . .) etc. because they enrich our knowledge and make us better Martial Artists, each of us in our own way.

Each of us have our art and our way of life, but we don't live in a glass container, and definitely not in a black box.

It's nice to see someone else that cross trains and is familar with the Russian Arts. Alot of people blow this off and don't think it is real. Train with the Russians and you will find something different. I have done Sambo and the ROSS system under General Retinsuhka(?) himself. Also did a seminar of Spetzna, the other Russian art. I find it amusing when I'M told that it is not real when we spent 2 hours working with a shovel and how to disect someone with it. We also worked against an AK-47 and to this day I hope they were unloaded at the time, but now am afraid to find out. I will tell you though, that the Russian arts, the Hawaiian Arts have been a major accent to my training. Keep the open minds and sharing your information